Download Bauhinia blakeana - Lee County Extension

Stephen H. Brown, Horticulture Agent
Lee County Extension, Fort Myers, Florida
(239) 533-7513 [email protected]
http://lee.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/GardenHome.shtml
Bauhinia x blakeana
Family: Fabaceae
Hong Kong Orchid
Flower Display: A+
Hong Kong Orchid
Synonym (Discarded Names): None found
Origin: Hone Kong
Growth Rate: Fast
Zone: 9b—12b, 26°F minimum
Growth Rate: Fast
Light Requirements: High
Plant type: Evergreen but significant leaf loss
towards the end of the blooming season
Flowering Months: Late October to March
Intense Blooming Days: 119
Messiness: High, December to February
Salt Tolerance: Medium
Drought Tolerance: High
Nutritional Requirements: Medium
Typical Dimension: 30’ x 25’
Human Hazards: None
Uses: Garden; park; parking lot; shade; streetscape
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers, Florida
The standard is the uppermost petal.
Late November
Late November
Origin
B. x blakeana is of obscure origin. The original
tree was discovered in the garden of a ruined seaside home in Hong Kong. It is often reported as a
natural hybrid of B. variegata and B. purpurea.
However, such a progeny has never been duplicated. B. x blakeana is sterile and produces no
seedpods, further adding to its desirability. It must
be produced by grafting, and not from cuttings. B.
x blakeana is the floral emblem of Hong Kong.
Leaf
The leaf is simple and the margin entire. The petiole is stout. Leaves are ordinarily 5.5 to 7.5 inches
long and 4.0 to 6.5 inches wide. The blade is
bilobed, and is typically divided from the apex to
about 1/3 but as much as 1/2 of the length of the
blade. The blade is as usually wide as it is long. It
is broadly ovate to subcircular in shape. The base
is cordate. There are about 11 or 13 prominently
raised veins radiating from a small arch just above
the petiole. Leaves are alternating in their arrangement on the stem.
Flower and Blooming Period
The flowers have five widely spaced rose-purple to orchid pink petals. The standard is flared red. There
are five long and sterile stamen. Flowers are sweetly fragrant and are very attractive to hummingbirds.
They are produced on stout pedicles on new growth at the end of long, slightly arching branches. There
is a distinctively long intense blooming days of about four months, far longer than most other flowering
trees. Each blossom last for three to four days. They fall freely during the flowering season to be replaced by fresh blooms waiting in buds on tight terminals or axillary racemes. The raceme contains a
few to about 20 flowers. The fallen petals make an attractive groundcover, or a messy litter, depending
on ones point of view.
Leaf: Simple, alternate, broadly ovate to subcircular, notched to 1/4 to
1/2 its length, and ordinarily 5.5 to 7.5 inches long and 4.0 to 6.5 inches
wide.
Flower: Rose-purple to orchid pink, five petals, 5 to 6 inches wide, five
sterile stamen
Fruit: Sterile tree, produces no fruit
Fort Myers, Florida
Late November
The leaf base is cordate. There are
about 11 or 13 prominently raised
veins radiating from a small arch just
above the petiole.
Sanibel, Florida
Early December
In February and March, the flower display occasionally wanes, as if to signal the end of the flowering
season, but readily picks back up in a day or two.
Planting and Maintenance
B. x blakeana is fast becoming a useful tree for roadways, parking lots and gated communities. Plant it
in full sun or light shade. A young tree can be slow to establish, and can be open and awkward. The mature tree typically has a short trunk , if not pruned to restructure it, dense canopy, and brittle branches.
Prune the tree, if desired, to remove crossing branches and to develop a pleasing canopy. Pruning can be
done from March to August. Even trees pruned as late as August can still produce abundant flowers
from December to March.
After flowering, B. x blakeana is semi-deciduous on irrigated soils and can be briefly and completely
deciduous on very dry soils. Leaves will also fall because of cold winter temperatures. Interveinal chlorosis occurs on alkaline soils. Fertilize in March, June and September if necessary to keep leaves green
and healthy.
Weevils are a problem on leaves. They will not kill the tree and can be tolerated if one can overlook the
damage.
Mid December
A tree in full bloom. Notice the characteristically short trunk of untrained trees. Chlorotic leaves are to the left.
Illustration of the recovery of a mature B. x blakeana after severe pruning in mid May
June 5, about three weeks after pruning. The tree was
without leaves when pruned.
July 19
October 22. A handful of flowers are now on the tree
June 16
August 9
November 26
Mid December
A tree in full bloom
Mid February
This tree growing on an abandoned lot has not
been irrigated and is about to become briefly de-
References
Llamas, Kristen. Tropical Flowering Plants: A guide to Identification and Cultivation. 2003. Timber
Press, Portland Oregon
Rowell, Raymond. Ornamental Flowering Trees in Australia. 1991. New South Wales University Press,
Kensington, Australia
Staples, George and Herbst, Derral. A Tropical Garden Flora: Plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands
and other Tropical Places. 2005. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawaii
Useful Links
Flowering trees fact sheets
Florida native plants fact sheets
Red Silk-Cotton Tree YouTube
All pictures taken by Stephen H. Brown
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, religion, age, disability,
sex, sexual orientation, martial status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension
Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. Revised 9/2011.